


Incident warranting Inquiry

by Starrie_Wolf



Series: Playing with Pendulums [7]
Category: Bleach
Genre: Alternate Universe - Arranged Marriage, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Don't copy to another site, Established Relationship, Hollowfication, M/M, Turn Back the Pendulum Arc, UraIchi Week 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-27
Updated: 2020-05-27
Packaged: 2021-03-02 19:48:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,705
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24402328
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starrie_Wolf/pseuds/Starrie_Wolf
Summary: “I have another suggestion to make,” Shinji speaks up. “It may be possible that Fifth Seat Tōsen Kaname’s survival is due to his lack of sight rather than mere chance. I would like to request the assistance of Captain Urahara Kisuke, who is trained in combat without sight.”“Approved.” The Captain-Commander slams his zanpakutō on the floor again. “In that case, Ōtoribashi Rōjūrō, Hirako Shinji, Aikawa Love, Ushōda Hachigen, Yadōmaru Lisa, Urahara Kisuke – these six shall form the Special Resolution Squad for the Case of Vanishing Souls!”All of them vanish in a flash of shunpo.
Relationships: Hirako Shinji & Urahara Kisuke, Kurosaki Ichigo/Urahara Kisuke, Tsukabishi Tessai & Urahara Kisuke, Urahara Kisuke & Visored
Series: Playing with Pendulums [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1077834
Comments: 22
Kudos: 538
Collections: UraIchi Week 2020





	Incident warranting Inquiry

**Author's Note:**

> The long-awaited Hollowfication arc, part 1
> 
> -butterfly wing flap-

_Ten years into his captaincy…_

“Man, Hollows in Outer Rukongai are getting stronger these days.”

This throwaway comment leads to a wave of assent, followed by surprised looks at each other. Kisuke exchanges a meaningful look with Ichigo, whose chopsticks are hovering halfway to his mouth. They had just been discussing this issue earlier; if it were just the Eleventh, it could be attributed to a case of overzealous competitiveness – not uncommon amongst the type of recruit that is attracted to join the Eleventh – but if the other divisions were having the same problem…

“Which district?” he asks, drawing out a sheet of paper and switching his chopsticks to his other hand, ready to take notes. If the districts are near each other, perhaps they should be looking at a potential evolved Hollow instead.

“West 68, Fugai.”

“West 65.”

“West 71.”

“West 70,” says Yoruichi breezily. Kisuke ducks his head to hide his surprise, but he sees that he is not the only one. The Onmitsukidō does not usually share its information with outsiders; for Yoruichi to freely contribute suggests that the problem may be far graver than is expected.

“I’ll get my captain to report this to the Captain-Commander,” Lisa says briskly, taking the sheet of paper from Kisuke. “Now, if everyone can forward me a copy of the relevant incident reports…”

* * *

Three days later, after a vanguard team of ten seated officers – including the lieutenant leading them – vanish, the chief investigation squad in the Ninth Division is sent out.

Only one person makes it back.

* * *

There is no doubt the Captain-Commander is going to send out another team that night.

“It’s strange,” Yoruichi admits. Her eyes are half-lidded in an expression that would normally denote laziness, but Kisuke knows this is a mask she wears to hide the fact that she is thinking. “Why did the Hollow spare the Fifth Seat?” She flips through the thin sheaf of information her scouts are able to provide in the short period of time since Tōsen Kaname has staggered through the gates, shouting about the disappearance of the rest of his squad.

Everyone present has already read through it, and everyone agrees there is nothing special about Tōsen Kaname that would make him less appealing or more able to escape from a Hollow that can easily take down a captain.

“Kensei, he’s one of the old guard.” Shinji leans forwards, long strands of hair sliding over his shoulder. “A normal Hollow, even a Menos is nothing to him. And at any higher evolution than that, the Hollow should’ve gained sentience. It would never have let Tōsen go.”

The table descends into silence again as everyone ponders this contradiction.

“Perhaps it uses a sight-based attack,” Kisuke says softly. He winces immediately at the sound of his voice; he had not meant to voice that aloud.

There is another pause, and then Yoruichi slams her hands on the table. “Kisuke, you’re a _genius_.”

“Right, so we can’t trust our eyes.” Rose makes a face. “But who – other than the Onmitsukidō – is trained to fight blind? This Hollow is at least captain-level, so we can’t send the rank-and-file against it either.”

There’s a strange, sinking feeling in the pit of Kisuke’s belly, and he stares down at the table. Someone who’s both captain-level and trained like an Onmitsukidō officer…

Under the table, Ichigo slips a hand into his and squeezes his hand.

“My shikai is sight-based,” Shinji declares abruptly. His lips purse as he considers the gathered shinigami, although Kisuke cannot tell what he is thinking. “I’ll volunteer to lead the next investigation team.”

As if on cue, emergency bells begin to toll, summoning them to an urgent captain’s meeting.

* * *

“Reports from the frontline Ninth Division standby camp indicate that the reiatsu signatures of Captain Muguruma Kensei and Lieutenant Kuna Mashiro have disappeared. The cause is unknown.”

The report came in the afternoon, so with Seireitei gossip being what it is, this is not news to anyone present. Shinji has earlier mentioned the formation of an investigation team, and Kisuke believes that would be the Captain-Commander’s solution as well.

“This is one of our worst-case scenarios. This case, which up until yesterday was simply another mere incident occurring in Rukongai, has become something we must resolve on the pride of the Gotei Thirteen!” The Captain-Commander slams his zanpakutō on the floor. “Accordingly, I will now select five Captain-class individuals who will head directly to the scene!”

Even though he knows this would happen, the declaration still shakes Kisuke. Has there ever been such a massive mobilisation since the Quincy Wars last millennium?

“Captain of the Third Division, Ōtoribashi Rōjūrō. Captain of the Fifth Division, Hirako Shinji. Captain of the Seventh Division, Aikawa Love. These three will head to the scene. Captain of the Second Division, Shihōin Yoruichi, and Captain of the Eleventh Division, Urahara Kisuke, will stand by until given further orders. Captain of the Sixth Division, Kuchiki Ginrei, Captain of the Eighth, Kyōraku Shunsui, and Captain of the Thirteenth, Ukitake Jūshirō, you three are to protect Seireitei. Captain of the Fourth Division, Unohana Retsu, in preparation for the arrival of the injured, remain on standby in the General First Aid Station.”

“Hold on a moment, Captain-Commander,” Captain Unohana interrupts. “If we are thinking about how best to handle the injured, should I not be heading to the scene?”

“In this unknown situation, I cannot afford to mobilise those responsible for healing-related functions. I shall send others in your stead.”

Only three captains have been called so far, so the last two captain-class individuals are not captains of the Gotei. That means…

“Enter.”

Kisuke glances over as the doors creak open to reveal Tessai and Hachigen. It’s a reasonable choice, he supposes, although he wonders why the Captain-Commander feels that this mission requires the skillset of the Kidō Corps.

“Before his disappearance, Captain Muguruma Kensei sent a message that there is a possibility this is caused by an unknown pathogen that breaks down souls and requested aid from research specialists,” the Captain-Commander explains. Certainly, Kisuke supposes that without a dedicated institute of research, the spellcrafters in the Kidō Corps may be the best people for such a venture. Perhaps he ought to expand his research laboratory into a full institution, although where would he get the funding for _that_ from… “You have been informed of the situation? I would like the two of you to head to the scene.”

“Understood.”

“Yes, Sir.”

Lost in thought, it takes Kisuke a moment to realise the Captain-Commander has not dismissed them yet and is clearly awaiting input.

It is Captain Kyōraku who breaks the silence at last. “Hey, Yama-jii.”

“Hm?”

“We don’t even know the situation on the front lines, isn’t it a bit risky for both the Grand Master and the Vice-Master of the Kidō Corps to go?”

A fair point, one that the Captain-Commander agrees with as well. “Then what would you have us do?”

“I’ll send my lieutenant instead,” Captain Kyōraku suggests. Kisuke is surprised, to say the least. The Captain-Commander did say he was only sending captain-class individuals, which means Captain Kyōraku has reason to believe that his lieutenant is at the level of a captain. Does Lisa secretly have bankai?

“You’re going to call her right now?” wonders Captain Ukitake.

“Sure,” Captain Kyōraku agrees easily. “He~ey, Lisa-chan!”

To the visible surprise of many of the assembled captains, Lisa’s head pops up outside the window. Kisuke is simply taken aback at the lack of situational awareness they seem to have. Is it not obvious that Lisa’s reiatsu has been hovering out of sight from the start?

“What?” she demands, with no apparent respect for anyone present.

“See?” Captain Kyōraku waves a hand at her. To Lisa, he adds, “I told you not to eavesdrop on captain-only meetings.”

“It can’t be helped,” Lisa retorts. “The more something’s hidden, the more you wanna see it, that’s human nature.”

“Did you hear?”

Lisa’s attitude changes instantly. “Yeah, I heard,” she says seriously.

“Will you do it?”

There is no hesitation when she agrees. “Of course.”

“Then, off you go.”

Lisa throws up a thumbs-up, picks her pile of notes up from the ground, and rushes off without even waiting for the Captain-Commander’s approval.

“Making independent decisions, are we?” the Captain-Commander comments. He has not stopped Captain Kyōraku from acting on his own, however, which leads Kisuke to think that perhaps he is not actually displeased by this turn of events.

“Well, it’s so rare that one can lay eyes on a huge case like this. I want to let her have this experience,” Captain Kyōraku argues half-heartedly, lending credibility to this interpretation. “Don’t worry, despite the way she looks, my Lisa-chan is actually pretty strong. So could you possibly let her deal with this one, Grand-Master?”

“That is fine by me.” Tessai gives a short bow. “In that case, I believe I shall take you up on your offer and take the liberty of resting.”

“I have another suggestion to make,” Shinji speaks up. “It may be possible that Fifth Seat Tōsen Kaname’s survival is due to his lack of sight rather than mere chance. I would like to request the assistance of Captain Urahara Kisuke, who is trained in combat without sight.”

“Approved.” The Captain-Commander slams his zanpakutō on the floor again. “In that case, Ōtoribashi Rōjūrō, Hirako Shinji, Aikawa Love, Ushōda Hachigen, Yadōmaru Lisa, Urahara Kisuke – these six shall form the Special Resolution Squad for the Case of Vanishing Souls!”

All of them vanish in a flash of shunpo.

* * *

“I’ll take point,” Shinji says grimly. “My shikai is able to confuse sight-based attacks. Kisuke, if you can take up the rear –”

“Kensei-san mentioned a potential pathogen that attacks the soul,” Kisuke says hurriedly. He has been thinking about this ever since the Captain-Commander brought up the request for research specialists. “There are several objects in my laboratory that could aid us in the investigation.” One of his side projects involves foreign reiatsu detection and isolation, which should come in useful…

Shinji pauses. “Yes, that would be good, but Lisa has already set off.” He hesitates another moment. “We’ll head off first to meet up with her. Kisuke, can you catch up?”

“Yes,” Kisuke says with no hesitation. Hachigen, for all of his prowess in kidō, is not particularly gifted in shunpo. The group can only travel as fast as their slowest member, whereas Kisuke is faster than all of them.

“Then we’ll head off first.”

It takes Kisuke mere minutes to reach his private research laboratory, housed in an extension wing specially built next to his office. It’s bigger than the cavern under Sōkyoku Hill he and Yoruichi had built in their youth, and the Eleventh Division members know better than to intrude lest they force Kisuke to draw his zanpakutō. In fact, they’re even seeing some diversification in their more recent recruits these years, where shinigami interested in a life of research have started applying to the Eleventh Division.

As Kisuke exits the laboratory, items in hand, he nearly runs Ichigo over. Ichigo has clearly heard the news already, for he doesn’t waste any time asking Kisuke for any details and just leans in to brush his lips against Kisuke’s cheek. “Stay alert.”

Kisuke presses Ichigo’s hands briefly and is gone in another flash of shunpo.

* * *

“You have created something quite unusual there.”

Kisuke skids to a stop, his hand automatically dipping to the hilt of his zanpakutō before he realises that it is a voice he recognises.

“Designing a cloak to hide all traces of the wearer’s reiatsu,” Tessai continues, stepping out from behind a pillar, “as expected of Kisuke-dono.”

“Tessai-san,” Kisuke greets with no little surprise. Has something already happened to one of the earlier members?

“There is absolutely no way I can permit you to go alone,” Tessai says, which is a rather unusual declaration for the usually placid man. “Surely Kisuke-dono can feel it, there is an indescribable fear in the air this night! I will accompany you until you catch up with the members that have gone ahead.”

“Now, let us move swiftly.”

* * *

Ahead of them, the very earth shudders and quakes, the trees bowing and creaking under a torrent of reiatsu – half-Hollow, half-shinigami.

There is no time to hesitate. He can sense Shinji’s reiatsu signature – strangely warped, but he will consider that later – lying on the ground, but his opponent is still upright.

Kisuke accelerates to his top speed, wields Benihime with his right hand and pulls a poisoned dagger out of his left sleeve for good measure.

He _misses_.

The shock of feeling his zanpakutō meet air instead of flesh almost makes Kisuke open his eyes, and only his rigorous training overrides that. It’s that same training that lets him lash out with his left hand, and this time the blade catches on a whisper of fabric, followed by something wooden clattering to the ground.

Hollows don’t need clothes, their Hierro being more than enough to protect them from the elements.

“Oh? Urahara-taichō, Tsukabishi-daikidōchō, you are faster than I expected.”

 _He knows that voice_.

Kisuke opens his eyes.

His ears do not deceive him. The man standing in front of him is, indeed, Lieutenant Aizen Sōsuke. Which means… which means –

There are two others with Aizen, a silver-haired boy whom Kisuke does not recognise and Fifth Seat Tōsen Kaname.

The boy speaks first. “Oh no~ they found us.” The words denote fear, but it is incongruous with his tone.

In response, Fifth Seat Tōsen Kaname unsheathes an inch of his zanpakutō. “I will cut them down,” he declares.

Kisuke is ready to move at any moment, but Aizen speaks first.

“No, it’s fine.”

“But –” Tōsen protests.

Aizen tilts his head towards Tōsen, keeping Kisuke in his peripheral vision. “Kaname,” he stresses, “I said _it’s fine_.”

The words are courteous, but the tone sends goosebumps prickling down Kisuke’s arms. If he needed any confirmation that it was a not a fluke that Aizen avoided the earlier strike, this would have done it.

“Un-understood!” Tōsen drops to a knee, fear and admiration warring for dominance in his reiatsu. “Please forgive my audacity!”

There are three of them of unknown but at least captain-level capabilities, one of whom can dodge _his_ assassination strike with no prior warning. Even with Tessai backing him up, Kisuke is not confident he can subdue all of them.

He reassesses the situation.

There are eight shinigami lying on the ground: the five from his investigation squad, the two officers of the Ninth, and the lieutenant from the first vanguard squad that went missing. He cannot see it clearly in the dim light, but there is something bone-white covering their faces, almost like a Hollow’s mask.

This, added to the strange half-Hollow, half-shinigami reiatsu he has been sensing earlier…

“Aizen,” he pauses, “fukutaichō.”

“Yes.”

“What have you been up to here?”

“Nothing.” Aizen answers instantly, his expression as calm as a still pond. “As you can see, I discovered the members of the Special Resolution Squad for the Case of Vanishing Souls lying injured from the battle here quite by chance, and I was merely doing my best to save them.”

Something – some _one_ – snarls like a wounded animal behind Kisuke. “How… dare… you,” Shinji growls, his voice breaking on every word, his breaths coming in short pants. His voice tapers off into choking noises, liquid gurgling in his throat.

Kisuke does not turn his head.

He cannot afford to.

“Why are you lying to me?” he asks softly, like silk-sheathed steel.

“Lying?” Aizen wonders, mild as milk. “Is there something wrong with a lieutenant trying to save his captain?”

Kisuke gives a slow, slow blink. He has yet to resheathe Benihime, but shikai is likely insufficient. Bankai is a possibility, but with eight of his friends lying within range, he finds himself… reluctant.

Ten years away from the Onmitsukidō has made him _soft_.

He lets himself sink deeper into the mindset of an assassin. “And pray tell, what sort of injuries are these?” His voice comes out completely toneless, the rasp of a dagger in the dark.

The silver-haired boy blinks. Tōsen is still on one knee. There is no way to reach either of them without going through Aizen.

“Interesting,” Aizen finally turns away, breaking eye contact and resheathing his zanpakutō. “I am glad that you were delayed tonight. Gin, Kaname, we have more than succeeded in our objectives. We shall withdraw.”

More than succeeded? It is an odd turn of phrase. Kisuke registers it at the back of his mind for later perusal. The mission has to come first.

Without another word, all three of them nonchalantly turn their backs on Kisuke and begin walking away. The dismissal is probably meant to be insulting, to incite an attack on their unprotected backs – which makes it a trap. But it is a trap he must spring, a duty he must perform whether as the remaining member of the Special Resolution Squad or a friend to these eight individuals.

Kisuke takes a step forward.

“Hadō #88: Hiryū Gekizoku Shinten Raihō!”

He barely leaps aside in time, the flames of the cannon-type kidō so close that they sear the fabric of his cloak. Throwing up a barrier to shield himself from the backlash, Kisuke observes from his vantage point that Aizen does not even turn around when he makes the gesture for Bakudō #81: Dankū.

“Kamisori, Benihime!”

The barrier shatters on impact, but the damage is already done. There is no sight of the targets.

“ _Impossible_ ,” Tessai hisses, his composure lost. “A lieutenant… without the incantation…” He trails off, taking a moment to compose himself. “My deepest apologies. It appears I have allowed them to get away.”

Kisuke cannot fault him for it, any more than he can demand an apology for almost being shot in the back. They had only one chance for a sneak attack, and the strongest attack kidō in Tessai’s arsenal was undoubtedly the best choice. Moving any closer could have put them in range of whatever the other shinigami had succumbed to.

He breathes in, slowly, and then out again.

 _Mission failure_.

_Ignore that._

“Tessai-san,” he says in acknowledgement. This… the targets have escaped, but the situation may be salvageable if they can save these shinigami. With ten witnesses, Aizen will not be able to get away.

_We have more than succeeded in our objectives._

Before Kisuke can consider the matter further, a terrible choking, hacking noise behind him alerts him to the fact that at least one of them is still conscious.

“Shinji-san!” With no imminent threat in sight, Kisuke spins around at once, dropping to his knees. He pauses briefly, and only his Onmitsukidō training keeps his face expressionless at the sight of an amorphous bone-white sludge creeping across Shinji’s face, solidifying into the pattern of a Hollow’s mask. “Ahhh, what an interesting new fashion statement this is!”

Shinji snorts, but it doesn’t mask the fact that he is in pain. “You always know how to make a guy laugh, Kisuke.”

“Don’t talk anymore,” Kisuke cautions him, “it will speed up the progression.” His fingers twitch, but he has only brought tools for the measurement and containment of foreign reiatsu, based on Kensei’s initial assessment of a pathogen. None of them is useful in a situation where the shinigami’s own reiatsu is mutating to attack itself.

“Kisuke-dono.” Tessai’s tone is heavy, but without censure. “It appears that you know something about this matter.”

“Yes,” Kisuke responds. With Aizen gone, he is at liberty to elaborate. “This is no ‘injury’. The Case of Vanishing Souls - a case in which shinigami suddenly vanish one after another, until they reach such a state? Most likely, these are actually experiments into Hollowfication for which _someone_ is responsible.” There is no need to mention who that _someone_ is.

There is a sinking feeling in the pit of his belly as he watches Shinji moan and twist in pain. “At this advanced stage, with no tools…”

“Hollowfication,” Tessai responds thoughtfully, “this is a word I am unaccustomed with. In that case, would it be fair to assume that you are also knowledgeable concerning the method of treatment…?”

“… yes,” Kisuke answers after a moment of hesitation. “But it would be a gamble.”

“Understood. That is still better than nothing.”

Tessai rises to his feet, moving a few steps away.

“I shall now transport the eight of them, in their present state, to your laboratory in the Eleventh Division.”

* * *

A ray of sunshine wakes him like a slap to the face, making him groan. There’s a crick in his neck… and he does not have a habit of sleeping while sitting up…

Kisuke jerks upright.

One look around the laboratory tells him all he needs to know. The shinigami are slumped in the same positions they were left in earlier, no longer moaning in pain, but the bone-white masks have not receded.

They will live.

But they are no longer shinigami.

“Kisuke-dono.”

There is nothing Kisuke can say when Tessai can see the results for himself.

“I’m going to get some fresh air.”

The early morning sunlight is like a balm on his tattered spirit. Kisuke flexes his fingers, working out the kink in his neck. The Hōgyoku has saved their lives, but doomed them to a life that is half-Hollow, half-shinigami. With practice, they may be able to switch between the two forms, but they will never go back to being full shinigami again.

No one is around yet; the Eleventh Division tends to begin operations an hour later than the other divisions, because nothing is worse than trying to corral hungover recruits at the crack of dawn.

He wonders where Ichigo is.

He wonders how he can bear to face Ichigo after failing to save their friends and failing to apprehend the culprits.

Reiatsu signatures wink into existence all around him, making him jerk around in surprise. He’s more tired than he thought if he missed them –

“Captain of the Eleventh Division, Urahara Kisuke-sama. Grand Master of the Kidō Corps, Tsukabishi Tessai-sama. Central 46 has issued a warrant for your arrest!”

‘More than succeeded in his objectives’, indeed.

**Author's Note:**

> :D
> 
> [cywscross's UraIchi Discord server](https://discordapp.com/invite/ADFnKTZ#_=_) | [Starrie's fic sneak preview server](https://discord.gg/8yJVmbD) | [Starrie's Tumblr](http://starriewolf.tumblr.com)


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